


The Faces You Will Meet

by mybrokenlocket



Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 23:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mybrokenlocket/pseuds/mybrokenlocket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tosh is a Time Lord in the Chameleon Arch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was co-written by myself and dreamscapemusic for the 2010 Torchwood Big Bang. More of her work can be found here:
> 
> http://dreamscapemusic.livejournal.com
> 
>  
> 
> Cover art was created by the-silver-sun on livejournal, and can be viewed here:
> 
> http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/125126.html
> 
>  
> 
> The title comes from this poem-
> 
> And indeed there will be time  
> For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,  
> Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;  
> There will be time, there will be time  
> To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;  
> There will be time to murder and create,  
> And time for all the works and days of hands  
> That lift and drop a question on your plate;  
> Time for you and time for me,  
> And time yet for a hundred indecisions,  
> And for a hundred visions and revisions,  
> Before the taking of a toast and tea.  
> -The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T.S. Eliot

_“All of the knowledge that ever was is in this library, Ianto. The wisdom of generations, of millennia!”_

_Ianto is engrossed in a dusty tome he pulled off the shelf of the TARDIS’s library. “How much?” he asks distractedly, not really paying attention to Toshiko’s frantic gesturing._

_“All of it, seriously!”_

_She pulls the book from his hands. “You need to see it, it’s unbelievable. The Millennial Archives.”_

_“But I thought that was only a myth.”_

_“No, just lost. And now I’ve found it. Come on, you’ll love it.”_

_“But what about the security?”_

_“Child’s play, honestly. Now get up!”_

*

“Where are we?”

Ianto’s voice started Lisa out of a doze. She rose from the chair and settled herself on the side of the twin bed where he lay. “Good, you’re awake. We’re in London.”

“Why? What’s happened? My head hurts…”

Ianto tried to sit up, but Lisa put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Rest. Do you know who you are?”

“Of course. Don’t be silly.”

“Tell me anyways,” Lisa insisted.

“I’m Ianto Jones. What’s going on?”

“And who am I?”

“Lisa. Why are you asking me all these questions?”

“You’ve had a bit of an accident, and I’m trying to figure out if you’re all right. How do we know each other?”

“We work together. We’ve worked together for years. What happened to me?”

“And who do we work for?”

Ianto opened his mouth, but came up short. “I don’t know. It’s always just been you and me. Fixing things and finding aliens and…” Lisa bit back a hysterical giggle. Ianto was never this inarticulate. “But that doesn’t make sense, we must have worked for someone…”

“We did. We worked for Torchwood.”

“Really? That sounds familiar…”

“It should. We’re field agents. A few days ago you were taken by some aliens and held captive for a few days. We’re not sure yet exactly what happened, but one of Torchwood’s doctors looked at you, and it seems like your memory’s intact, so it doesn’t look like there will be any lasting effects.”

“What kind of aliens?” Ianto said.

“You do need some rest, still,” Lisa said. “Try to sleep some more.”

The next time Ianto woke up, he was alone. “Lisa?” he called.

“Good, you’re up!” Lisa toed open the door and followed her own voice into the room.. “I was just going to wake you for dinner.”

“Thanks. First, bathroom?”

“Follow me. It’s right down here.”

After Ianto relieved himself, he looked at himself in the mirror. His clothes were rumpled, but he looked healthy otherwise. The only upsetting thing was the frustrating feeling that he had just woken up from a dream and couldn’t remember all of it.

He found Lisa at a table in the small kitchen at the end of a short hallway. “Where are we? I know London, but this is so familiar, and I can’t place it.”

“It’s my flat,” Lisa lied. It was really Tosh’s, maintained for whenever she needed to visit London. But Tosh wouldn’t need it anytime soon. “I’m not here much, since we’re usually off somewhere. But it’s nice to have. Here, sit down and eat something.”

Ianto eyed the beef stew with trepidation. “Did you cook?”

Lisa laughed. “Why would I do that when I just got you healthy again? It’s from a can.”

“Thank God.”

Lisa twirled her fork, watching Ianto eat for a moment before starting herself. “While you were sleeping, I’ve been talking to Torchwood.”

“About what happened to me?”

“Sort of,” Lisa said. She plowed forward before he could ask any more questions. “They’ve been looking to reduce the number of agents out in the field. They need more people in headquarters. I thought after everything you had been through, it didn’t seem like a bad idea… they’ve got two research positions available, they’d be more than happy to take us…” Just say yes, she pleaded silently. I need you to stay where I can keep an eye on you, I don’t want to force the issue…

“Sounds perfect. And you’ve sorted all this out just while I’ve been sleeping? They don’t want an interview or anything?”

Lisa smiled with relief. “No. We’re overqualified, actually. Which brings me to something else. The leaders of Torchwood have asked that we don’t discuss any of the work we’ve been doing up until now. All of the field work needs to be kept top secret, even from other people in the team.”

“That seems silly. Don’t they work on the same kind of things?”

“Torchwood deals stuff that winds up in London that’s not supposed to be there- mostly through time-space rifts and such. They let trouble come to them, so to speak. What we did before was a bit riskier, you know? They don’t want any sensitive information getting out.”

Ianto shook his head. “That’s fine, I suppose. It’s strange, the more I think about the last few years, the less I can remember. If this keeps up, I won’t be able to tell anyone about them, even if I want to.”

“It’s all a bit of a blur for me, too,” Lisa said. “I think maybe it’s just not as exciting as we think it is when you actually look back, you know? Not so many aliens, more paperwork.”

“Maybe,” Ianto said, not sounding convinced. “So, research at Torchwood London. When do we start?”

*

_The girl flashes Ianto a grin. “Lisa Hallett,” she says, holding out a hand to shake._

_“Ianto Jones.” His heart stutters, just a bit, as they shake._

_“So aren’t you going to show me around this Wonder Ship you’ve got here?”_

_“Well, it’s Tosh’s. I really don’t know much about it...”_

_“She’s busy. Come on, let’s take a look around.”_

*  
Ianto was sitting at the table, disheveled- not a typical state for him at all. His back was to the door, but when Lisa walked in, she could still see that his khakis were un-ironed and his hair needed to be cut. She had always teased him about his dandyish obsession with personal grooming, but seeing him go this many days without shaving just drove home how different things were now.

“I have good news,” she said, trying to sound chipper.

Ianto turned from the newspaper that she suspected he hadn’t really been reading. “Oh, hello. Back so soon?”

“I’ve been gone for hours. What have you been up to?” She bustled into the apartment’s small kitchen and started making tea.

Ianto looked guilty. “Oh, this and that.”

Lisa was sure he had been staring blankly at the telly, or worse, the wall. She attempted to drown a flare-up of anger with a wave of pity. He had lost the most important parts of the last two years of his life- and gained a hopeless crush on her. Still, it felt unfair that she was forced to be the strong one. She drummed her fingers against the counter while she waited for the water to boil. “Don’t you want to hear my news?”

“What news?”

“I think I’ve found another flat. For you. Or me. Whoever.” For the last three weeks, they had been staying in the London apartment. It was serviceable, but cramped for two. Ianto had been sleeping on the couch. 

“Oh. That’s nice.” Ianto glanced around. “This is your place, isn’t it? Why would you leave, and not me?”

Lisa bit her lip, angry at the slip. “Of course,” she said, walking to the table and placing a mug of tea in front of him. “But after you were… ill… and all, I would feel terrible pushing you out. If you’re not ready.”

“Ill,” Ianto repeated, looking at his tea and not at Lisa. “No, I think it’s time I went. Moved on. Started getting it together.” He sipped the tea and looked up at her. “When can we go look at it?”

Lisa smiled, warmed by the sound of purpose in his voice. “Tomorrow, after work. I’ll drive you there.”

*

Ianto stopped by Lisa’s desk at Torchwood late one Monday afternoon. “Here you go,” he said, handing her a file folder. “Photocopies of those articles about the UFO sightings the other night. Interesting stuff, but I don’t know if they’ll tell us anything we don’t know.”

“Thanks,” Lisa said. “I have to look, even if they’re nothing.” She looked Ianto over. He had gotten a haircut at last, and trimmed his sideburns, she noted with approval. His shirt was clean and he was wearing a tie that matched it rather nicely. She was sure that if she could see his shoes, they would be polished.

“I also have this for you.” Ianto handed her a small card. On it was a time, a date, and an address.

“A housewarming party?”

“Well, flat-warming, really, I suppose. I know it’s been a while, but I wanted to have something to thank you for helping me get settled. I invited some folks from the office as well.”

“And you made up little invitations instead of sending an email like a normal person?” Lisa raised an eyebrow. “Your obsession with stationary is a little bit unmanly, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Are you coming, or not?”

“Of course I will. Want me to bring anything?”

“Bottle of wine?”

“Perfect. So long as I don’t have to cook.”

“Thanks. I’d better be getting on with this.” He waved the pile of folders that needed to be distributed. “See you soon.”

“Bye.” Lisa opened the folder, smiling as he walked away. Some days it seemed like everything had changed, but Ianto was becoming more and more his old self. Most importantly, he was safe. They were all safe- Ianto, Lisa, even Tosh. Especially Tosh.

*

“Thanks, Toshiko. I really appreciate you vetting this for me.”

“Oh, don’t mention it,” Tosh said, smiling. “Just doing my job.”

The man strolled away from her desk, holding the copy of his calculations, now covered in Tosh’s comments and corrections. Tosh glanced at the clock. It was getting a bit late, but she would stick around for a bit longer. She had to get her current project reviewed and completed by Friday.

Not that the work was that difficult. Tosh had resigned herself to the fact that not everything that came across her desk was going to be terribly interesting or challenging. Some of it was, to be sure. But this wasn’t quite how she’d pictured life after university.

After another hour passed, Tosh realized she was having trouble concentrating. She saved her work and exited the program. One window remained open on her screen- her email server. Her eye fell on one particular message in her inbox, marked as read, but not yet replied to. Biting her lower lip, she opened it again.

 _Dear Ms. Sato,_ the email read, _We at Bolden and Hathaway are currently recruiting a number of new personnel. It has come to our attention that you are a highly qualified individual who is poised to make great strides in the field of research and development in the coming years. In light of this, we would like to invite you to meet with one of our representatives…_

Tosh read the email twice before closing the window and shutting down the computer. _I’ll sleep on it,_ she thought. _Sleep on it and reply in the morning._

*

Lisa called her contact at the Ministry of Defense every couple of weeks.

“How’s our girl doing, George?”

A sigh. “Well enough. Seems happy, healthy. Works long hours, but she never complains.”

“That’s good.”

“I think you should keep an eye out, though. There are people who are interested in her. The more she moves up the ranks here, the more attention she attracts- she’s too talented not to be noticed.”

“Noticed? By who?”

“Lots of people, but there is one corporation in particular that’s been courting her- Bolden and Hathaway, they’re called.”

Lisa slouched against her kitchen counter, relieved. George was worried that Tosh was thinking about a move to the private sector, not that she was being stalked by vengeful aliens. “So where do these Bolden folks operate out of?”

“Bolden and Hathaway. They have a few offices, but their main ones are in the states. Washington, actually.”

Lisa had been scribbling the name of the company on the back of a stray envelope, so she could look into it later, but at George’s last comment she froze. “And that’s where they would send Toshiko?”

“Yes. I thought you should know.”

“Of course. I’m so glad you told me. Thank you, George.”

“You’re welcome. Take care of yourself, now.”

Lisa hung up the phone. She could take care of herself fine. Toshiko was another matter. If she left the Ministry of Defense, it would be hard enough to keep an eye on her. If she relocated to America, it would be impossible. Not without leaving Torchwood.

Not without leaving Ianto.

Lisa shook herself. Why was she so upset at the thought of following Tosh to Washington when Ianto was still in London? Who knew when the aliens who were after Tosh would show up, and if they would be able to recognize her. Lisa wasn’t sure quite how the Chameleon arch worked in the first place, and how much protection this new identity really provided. That was her priority.

But in his own way, Ianto was just as important. The aliens were after him as well, and if his memory was restored he could inadvertently lead them to Tosh. _He’s my responsibility, too,_ Lisa reminded herself. _That’s why I care. And we’re friends._

Ianto was safe, for the time being, cheerful enough to fetch and carry and research. No eyes were on him except for Lisa’s. Tosh was another matter. She needed to be moved out of the Ministry of Defense. Lisa had known that for a while now, but hearing the news about Bolden and Hathaway meant she would need to move fast.

The safest place, Lisa had decided, was probably Torchwood. Not Torchwood London, it was too busy and central. Plus, Ianto running into Tosh again might trigger something in his memory. Maybe Cardiff?

The other problem was how to get her in. Torchwood didn’t just take applications. But certainly, Lisa thought, they could find a use for someone as smart as Tosh. It was just a matter of putting her in their path, so to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

_Stop worrying,_ Lisa told herself, but it was hard to take her own instructions when she was walking down a poorly lit street late at night. It appeared to be empty, but every concealing wall or dumpster hid a potential threat. She was scared, and she knew reaching her destination would do nothing but elevate those fears.

Still, Lisa hadn’t spent all those years as companion to a reckless, thrill-seeking Time Lord for nothing. Time and again, she had faced down aliens who were more powerful and better equipped that she- a group of humans, no matter how ruthless, could hardly be worse.

At least, that’s what she told herself as she slipped into the ally. She descended a short set of cement steps leading to a basement door and knocked.

The door opened a hair, but the chain remained in place. “Who is it?” an unseen man asked.

“My name is Lisa Jones. I am here to see Maeve.” 

They engaged in a brief dance of signs and countersigns. The guard must be holding a gun, and Lisa imagined that he was itching for her to make a misstep so he would have the chance to use it. When she had delivered the last password correctly, was a soft grunt (of approval? Disappointment?) and the door swung open. Lisa saw that there were two burly guards standing there. They waved her into a small entrance room and shut the door behind her.

“We’ll need to search you,” one of them said with a sneer. “Procedure, ‘n’all.”

Lisa had begun to sweat, but she handed over her purse and stripped off her jacket. One of the guards patted her down, finding the small pistol she had hidden in her boot.

“Hey now, Maeve won’t like this.”

“Take it, then,” Lisa said. “But I need to see her. Please. She’s waiting for me.”

Without another word, the guard disappeared through a second door. Lisa felt as though his companion had been glowering at her for hours by the time he came back.

“She says s’all right,” the returning guard said. “Follow us.”

With her coat and purse, but not the pistol, restored to her, Lisa allowed herself to be led through the door and down the hallway. At their destination, the two guards took up positions outside the open door, but indicated that Lisa was to go inside. They shut the door behind her.

The room was small, and the furnishings spartan- a wooden table with a desktop computer on it, two folding chairs, a scarred metal filing cabinet in one corner. Lisa had the sense that the room had been cleaned recently, and any potentially incriminating documents hidden.

A woman with dark hair and a hard face sat in one of the chairs, holding a lit cigarette. She was staring at Lisa, as though sizing her up for a fight.

Lisa’s muscles were all tensed, and every instinct she had screamed for her to get out of this place, but she did her best to keep her face unreadable. “You’re Maeve then? I’m Lisa.” She thought about extending her hand for a shake, but thought better of it.

“And you are Lisa,” Maeve repeated. “You sounded docile enough on the phone, but then you decide to bring a weapon into my presence.”

Lisa decided to gamble. “Are you saying that you wouldn’t have done the same in my position? An unfamiliar place, unknown people? I only thought to protect myself.”

Audrey chuckled, then took a drag on her cigarette. “Ballsy, you are. I like women who know how to take care of themselves. Sit down, we have business to discuss.”

Lisa obliged. “My sources tell me you’re looking for a sonic modulator.”

“And what sources are those, Miss Jones? We know it’s not your real name. We know you work for Torchwood, and there are a couple of Jonses there- decide to borrow their name to cover your tracks? Or are they in on this too?”

Lisa cursed whatever flight of fancy had made her give Ianto’s surname on the phone. “No, it’s just me. This time.”

“What do you mean, this time? I’m not an idiot, I know Torchwood is Spec Ops. What do they want with us, unless it’s to shut us down? Which, I might as well inform you now, you will not be allowed to do.”

“Torchwood is rotting from the inside out,” Lisa said. “I have no loyalty to them, but I have the skills I learned there and the access working for them provides me. Before the whole thing goes under, I’m looking to make some more beneficial contacts for myself, using that information.”

“All right, all right.” Maeve leaned back in her chair. “So let’s say I believe you. Keep in mind, now, that we know everything about you. Where you live, where you shop. Who you keep company with. Just out of curiosity, that skinny bloke that you go to the pub with every weekend- your boyfriend, or is he a faggot?”

Lisa licked her dry lips. The smell of the cigarette smoke, trapped in the small room, was beginning to get to her. “Neither. He’s just a friend.”

“Well, I won’t go on, but we’ve got people on him, too. So if you play us false, it’s on his head and your own.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” Maeve paused to grind out the butt of her cigarette in an ashtray. “Now that we understand each other, tell me where you’re going to get me a Sonic Modulator. We’ve been working for years, and we haven’t been able to get our hands on one.”

“It doesn’t exist yet.”

“What?”

“Relax. There is no modulator yet, but I can get you someone who has access to the plans and the materials. And she’ll build it for you.”

*

The phone ringing startled Tosh out of her working trance. She glanced at her watch. Was it really nine already? After this call, wrap it up for the night and go get some dinner. She picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Is this Toshiko Sato?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“My name isn’t important. I have a job for you.”

*

“This is dreadful. I can’t believe you would do something like this. You’re sick.”

“I promise you, Mrs. Sato, it wasn’t my idea,” Lisa said. “If I had known, I would have tried to talk her out of it.”

The café was mostly empty at three in the afternoon. Lisa and the older woman sat at a booth next to one of the big picture windows.

Mrs. Sato fixed her with another look. “So this thing has been pretending to be my daughter all this time?”

“Tosh isn’t a thing, she’s a person. And as far as she knows, she really is your daughter.”

“My daughter,” Mrs. Sato said, “is dead.”

“I know. And I can only imagine how difficult that must have been. But Tosh was in danger, and she was impulsive. She realized it would be easy to manipulate the public records to make it seem like your daughter had lived, and it was her. She knew it was temporary, and she figured she would never need to see you.”

“So why do you need me now?”

“It’s bloody complicated, but it’s the only way to keep her safe. Her, and me, and our friend. I promise you, you won’t be in any danger. I’ve made sure of that. Not to mention the fact that I can compensate you handsomely for your help.”

A ponytailed waitress stopped at their table. “Do you ladies need anything else today?”

Mrs. Sato looked at Lisa, and then to the waitress. “Yes. Another cup of tea, please.”

“Nothing for me,” Lisa said. The waitress nodded and walked away.

“Okay,” Mrs. Sato said. “What happens if I say no? Now that you’ve told me about all of these aliens? What if I told someone?”

“This conversation can be wiped from your memory.”

Mrs. Sato was quiet. The waitress came with more hot water and a fresh tea bag. Lisa could almost see what was going on behind Mrs. Sato’s eyes. This wasn’t exactly the daughter she had lost in infancy, come back to life. But it was the closest she was ever going to come, and the young woman who had so carelessly taken her name and part of her history was in danger. Lisa bit her lip and waited.

“All right,” Mrs. Sato said at last. “What do you need me to do?”

*

“Want another drink?”

Lisa shook her head. Ianto ordered another for himself and turned his attention back to the television above the bar. He’d invited her out tonight, and she couldn’t say no, even if she didn’t give two shits about the game. How could she, with everything else going on? But no one could know that.

Lost in her personal misery, she started when Ianto laid a hand on her shoulder. “What?”

He drew his hand back, and she was sorry. “Are you feeling all right? You’ve been quiet.” A thin smile. “Usually when they’re playing like this, you’re hollering at the screen like the players can actually hear you.”

 _What do I say?_ Lisa thought. _That I’ve just as good as put myself in league with a terrorist cell?_ “No, just tired I guess.”

“If you say so.”

“They are pretty dismal, though, aren’t they?” It hadn’t been hard to track down someone who was looking for an insider in the Ministry of Defense, not with her connections and George keeping an ear out with her. It was a sloppy organization, and Lisa was waiting for just the right moment to send an anonymous tip to UNIT. The trick was getting Torchwood’s attention.

“You’re really not interested in this, are you?” Ianto asked. There was no frustration or condemnation in his voice, only concern. “Let me take you home.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Let me just square up our tab, and we’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

*

The voice on the other end of the line was male, American, and really beginning to grate on Lisa’s nerve. “So you’re telling me there’s some wunderkind down in containment who built a Sonic Modulator. So what? If we needed a tech geek like that, we’d’ve had one off the street years ago.”

“But she built it from faulty plans,” Lisa said. “Which is to say, from the ground up. With no previous contact with this kind of technology.”

“If Torchwood One thinks she’s such hot shit, you take her.” Jack Harkness’s legendary contempt for the London branch had been apparent as soon as Lisa mentioned where she was calling from.

“We don’t need her,” Lisa insisted. “But you do. Besides, Torchwood Three is known for eccentric hires. UNIT won’t wonder why you’ve come and demanded that they let Sato work for you.”

Harkness was quiet for a moment, mulling it over. Lisa tried one more time. “It’s not like she has a life to go back to, not now. It’s Torchwood or prison for the rest of her life.”

That seemed to decide him. “Does she have any other qualifications besides her Sonic Modulator trick?”

“Pretty extensive ones, actually. I’ll send you a file on her.”

“Thanks… what was your name, again?”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m just a friend. That reminds me, when you do take on Toshiko, she cannot know that this conversation took place. You can never tell her about me. Understood?”

“All right, but I haven’t said I would take her on ye-”

Lisa hung up the phone, feeling lightheaded with her success. Maybe now she could relax a little.

*

“Coffee?”

Lisa’s smile dazzled Ianto. “Thanks, I’d love one.” She plucked it from his sweating palms and took a sip. “Mmm, that’s nice. What’s up with the fancy cup? Didn’t we used to have little Styrofoam ones?”

“I took some liberties with the ‘refreshments’ budget. When you’re humanity’s last defense against alien invaders and total oblivion, the least your government can do is buy you a proper mug.”

Lisa laughed, a lot harder than she would have if she was just laughing to be polite. At least, Ianto hoped so.

“You seem cheerful this morning,” he said, hoping that she wasn’t busy, that she wouldn’t shoo him away from her computer desk. “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing really. I’ve just got this… project that I was working on for a long time, and I’ve just finished it. I was really worried that it wasn’t going to come out right, but it did, and I’m so relieved.”

“That’s great.” Ianto paused just long enough to collect the words. “Maybe I could take you out for dinner tonight, and you could tell me about it.”

Lisa looked at him for a moment. Ianto could feel his pulse twitching in his neck. “The project is classified,” Lisa said.

Ianto’s heart fell for a moment. Then—

“But I’m sure we could find something else to talk about. Pick me up at eight?”

*

“What’s this?”

“It’s a present,” Lisa said. “Open it.”

“Why are you buying me things?” Ianto asked, his fingers wrapped around the small, tastefully wrapped box. “What’s the occasion?”

Lisa smiled at him across the remains of their dinner. “It’s our six-month anniversary.”

“No, that would have been almost three weeks ago.”

“A belated celebration, then. Or thanks for cooking dinner. Whatever. Isn’t there a saying about looking horses in the mouth?”

“There’s also one about Greeks bearing gifts.”

Lisa just smiled and began collecting dishes. “Just open it.” Ianto watched as her pale blue skirt swished into the kitchen.

Once she was gone, he undid the gold ribbon, set it aside, and began to pick at the tape on the package. Lisa came back for another stack of dishes and raised an eyebrow at his slow progress. “Why can’t you just rip it like a normal person?”

“If you insist.” Ianto tore off the paper, revealing a white cardboard box. He lifted off the lid. Inside, nestled on a bed of white cotton, was a silver stopwatch. Ianto ran a reverent finger over the intricately engraved. Lisa watched, but there was no flare of recognition in his eyes, just a warm appreciation for a beautiful object. “Wow, Lis. This is beautiful.”

Lisa beamed. “I knew you needed a new watch. I was going to get you a wrist one, but when I was out shopping with Ruth last week we found this little consignment shop. I saw the watch and it reminded me of you, and then I just had to get it.”

While Lisa was talking, Ianto lifted the watch out of its box and dangled it from its chain. “My father used to have a watch like this.”

Something like guilt squeezed Lisa’s heart. She wondered if this was a real memory, or one that Tosh had planted. Would she have had time for niceties like pocket watches in those frantic minutes? Then there’s the fact that Ianto has always been evasive about his childhood, even back before their mutual disaster and permanent relocation to Earth.

Lisa started, wondering when she had begun thinking of it as permanent. If all went as planned, everything Tosh had done would be reversed in less than a year, and the three of them would be back together again. Except she and Ianto had been together in an entirely different sense now. How would that go over with Tosh?

“Lis? Something wrong?”

Lisa smiled. “No, just woolgathering. So, you like your present?”

“It’s perfect. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Lisa leaned over the table to kiss him. Ianto kissed her back, and there was something real and solid about the feel of his lips on hers.

 _I should see if there’s a way I can check on Tosh at Torchwood Three,_ she thought. Ianto’s tongue flickered in between her lips, and she sighed softly. _Maybe tomorrow._


	3. Chapter 3

She had it memorized now. His whole body would twitch once or twice, and then he would be still. His breathing slowed, and if he’d fallen asleep on his back, he would begin to snore. Sometimes she would nudge him until he snuffled and rolled on his side, but most nights she liked the reminder that she wasn’t alone.

Lisa had watched Ianto fall asleep again before drifting off. She dreamed of that night in London, when she had gone to meet the people who would eventually get Tosh thrown into jail, and from there, into Torchwood. In the dream she had cut her deal already and was trying to leave, but she kept getting lost in winding corridors with damp cement walls. Someone was hurrying along beside her, just over her left shoulder- a friend, she knew, but she couldn’t see who it was. Ianto? Tosh? Impossible to say. Panicked, she grabbed her unseen companion’s hand and tried to break into a run, but it was as though she was trying to move underwater-

Then, Lisa woke up. For a moment she lay still, waiting for her heart to slow. Her sweat seemed to freeze in chill air of the bedroom. Eventually, she rolled over and looked at Ianto. He was still asleep, eyes flickering beneath his eyelids, lost in a dream of his own. Lisa curled up close, comforted by the heat of his body and the quiet sound of his snoring.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto always had trouble remembering the exact events of Canary Wharf. When he managed to remember, he could recollect images, mostly, and sounds, less so other sensations. It was as though he watched the whole thing like a movie, detached, outside of himself. As time went on, it became less like a movie than like a box of slides that someone had tipped out on the floor. When he cared to think about it at all, he had to pick them up and hold them up to the light one at a time. They were brief, blurry, and out of order.

Jack had given him a good long time after Lisa’s death before saying anything. Ianto was cleaning dishes in the Hub’s kitchenette one night when he heard a voice from behind him. “How are you?”

Ianto jumped, spoons clattering against the sink. “You scared me.”

Jack slinked over to lean against the counter, and Ianto resumed his dish washing. “Funny, because you’ve been scaring me lately. You look like hell.”

“Please, don’t soften your words on my account,” Ianto joked.

“I’m serious. You’re keeping long hours, you’re distracted, probably sick. You’re not doing Torchwood any good by running yourself into the ground like this.”

“Are you saying I’m not doing my job? My work has suffered?”

“No. But I think you have.”

Ianto stacked clean mugs into the dish drainer, lining up their handles. “I appreciate your concern,” he said, “but if I am still able to do my duty to your satisfaction, I don’t see why my personal health is your problem.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” Ianto stopped what he was doing and looked at Jack.

“You sure?”

Ianto stopped what he was doing and looked at Jack. “You never cared before.”

“I always cared,” Jack said. “It was my mistake not to say so sooner.”

Ianto looked away again, drying his hands on a dish towel. “I want to talk about it. I think. But I can’t. Not yet.”

“Well. You know where to find me. Don’t stay to late, all right? Get some rest tonight.” 

Jack had turned to walk out of the room when Ianto started to speak. “I’ve thought about it so many times. I spent so long rationalizing… it’s like a big knot that I can’t untangle, so I feel like I’m better off just cutting it out and moving on. Am I making any sense?”

Jack had stopped in the doorway to listen, but he didn’t turn around when he spoke. “Yes. I understand completely. Thank you for telling me.” Without looking back at Ianto, he walked away.

*

Ianto could smell is hair burning as he dove through the door of the TARDIS, Toshiko right behind him. Using brute strength that seemed completely beyond her tiny frame, Toshiko slammed the door and pressed herself against the forces outside.

“LISA!” Ianto yelled, racing toward the controls, “LISA, ARE YOU HERE!”

A door he’d barely noticed in the past swung open and Lisa walked out. “Yes, I’m right...”

“GOGOGO!” Toshiko had left the door and was now at the controls, frantically pushing buttons and pulling levers. Lisa fell into place beside her while Ianto simply found a place to hold on. The TARDIS equivilent of an Oh shit handle, he’d thought in the past.

Lisa was the companion that was useful in the actual running of the machinery while Ianto was best for the research aspect, finding out the few things the Time Lord didn’t already know as she brought them around the universe.

It was one of those research trips that had brought them into the predicament they faced now. A library, containing the wisdom of the ages? How could Toshiko and Ianto pass up that opportunity? And the lock containing it had seemed like child’s play to break through, at least from Ianto’s perspective as he’d watched Toshiko work. Something that lightly guarded must not be too dangerous.

It had been almost a joke, a mild adventure to pass an afternoon. Lisa’d begged off, claiming to have some tinkering waiting for her in the bowels of the TARDIS. They’d passed through the locks and walked past the apparently broken body scanners to enter the main foyer of the library.

“Look at it, Ianto,” Toshiko had breathed, gazing about them. There were miles of books, shelves trailing on until they blurred together, each one crammed full of books. Ianto had approached the nearest shelf. None of the books had had any titles on the spines, but he was so used to differences in traditions after two years of traveling with Toshiko that it barely registered in his mind. They had both picked up a book and that was when all hell had broken loose. Sirens wailed, lights flashed, and a sweet smelling gas had begun seeping into the room, making Ianto dizzy until Toshiko had clamped a hand firmly over his face and dragged him into the nearest corridor. She’d shut the door behind them, wincing as the lock clicked into place. The corridor was dark and it had taken him only moments to find his bearings. Once his head had cleared, he’d been able to vaguely see Toshiko’s outline pacing in front of him, softly muttering what sounded like curses in various languages.

“Well, we’ve got no choice, apparently.” she’d said, “Let’s keep going and see if we can’t get back to the TARDIS.”

However, at the end of the hall had been more of the broken scanners and within seconds of passing them, they’d been surrounded by several large creatures holding even larger weapons.

“Right then,” Toshiko had said. “We surrender.”

The leader had snorted. “The arrogance of Time Lords.” he’d said, keeping his weapon trained on Toshiko. “The lock was there for a reason. There are secrets held in this collection that are not meant for mortal eyes.”

“Well, that works because I’m not exactly-”

“Silence!” The creature spat. He narrowed his eyes at Ianto. “Your companion, Jones of Earth, what did he see?”

Ianto felt a cold jolt. How did the creature know who he was? And worse, what else did they know?

“Nothing.” Toshiko had replied. And that had been the truth. But the creature hadn’t believed them.

“We cannot let any of this information get out.” The creature said, “You will have to come with us.”

The others surrounded Ianto and Toshiko, leading them further down the corridor. A door Ianto had not seen in the torches opened and they were in a large, well-lit room similar to the foyer in which the TARDIS was parked.

“Wherever we stop, that is where they’ll execute us.” Toshiko whispered to Ianto, “When I say, run. Just run as fast as you can and I will be right behind you.”

They had passed through another door into a similar room when they had stopped. The creatures set down their weapons. “Convenient.” Ianto muttered.

“Custom.” Toshiko said, “They respect knowledge and wisdom and refuse to sully it with bloodshed.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes. The preferred method of execution is implosion.”

The words Excuse me? got stuck in Ianto’s throat because at that moment she nodded sharply, jerking her head toward the door through which they had come. The creatures, in their customary formation, had left a clear path to the door and Ianto wasted no time in darting through it. He could hear Toshiko’s breath behind him as he ran back through the door, followed by the creatures. But in the time it had taken to break formation and reclaim their weapons, Toshiko and Ianto had put the empty room between them. The tunnel was more difficult, both stumbling in the darkness, and when they got out, the creatures were in sight behind them.

“There must be...YES! IN HERE!”

Toshiko pulled Ianto up a staircase he hadn’t seen the first time and pushed through the door at the top. They were in the library, on the second floor of the stacks, and Ianto could see the TARDIS. They just might not implode after all. But then he heard the first shot and saw a bookshelf crumble.

“I thought you said they respect knowledge!” he cried, panting as he and Toshiko continued running.

“I did.” Toshiko said ducking a shot that would have easily decapitated Ianto if it’d been a foot over, “They just respect their pride a little more. I imagine we’ve done a number on it, escaping like that during the execution ceremony.”

They found the stairs to the ground floor and took them two at a time, ducking the shots. The TARDIS was in sight and the door was open. That had been foolish. What if the creatures got them? Lisa was in there alone, defenseless. This thought pushed Ianto the last thirty feet until he had made it inside.

And now here they were, fleeing for their lives. The creature had been right, it was arrogance for them to break into the library like that. But now at least it was over. At least so he desperately hoped.

*

When they were finally safe in the void, Toshiko let go of the controls and paced the room, cursing as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! How could I have been so stupid!?”

“Hey,” Ianto tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she wouldn’t stay still long enough. “We made it out. It’s okay, we learn the lesson and -”

“No!” Toshiko stopped pacing and turned to face him. “Those scanners, you remember the scanners?”

“Yes, they didn’t appear to...”

“They don’t scan your body, they scan your personality. Your memories. That’s how the guards knew who we were. They have that information. Ianto, they are going to chase us. They are going to hunt us down using that information.”

“You mean they can, what, put out a signal searching for our memories? There’s no way they have that kind of technology.”

“That library is an archive of mellenia of wisdom. Species have had the technology before, it’s only a matter of digging it out. And trust me, if they are using the scanners, they have the rest of the technology available to them.”

“So what do we do then?”

Toshiko fell silent, turning back to the TARDIS controls. “So is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Lisa said after a long pause.

Ianto turned away as Toshiko launched into the story, an unfamiliar feeling of dread coming over him. They had been in danger before, certainly, what with the Timelord’s penchant for studying any bit of technology that crossed her path. They had ended up in cells, even before a firing squad on one memorable trip, but Toshiko had always known what to do. And worse, this time it really was their fault. They had broken the rules and done whatever they damn well pleased. Now they would have to suffer the consequences of their actions.

“The information stays in the scanners for two years.” Toshiko said, “And they will find us. And when they find us...”

There was no need for her to finish the sentence. She gazed around the TARDIS, looking for anything that might be of any use. Nothing, nothing, wait. She eyed the device in the corner thoughtfully. The Chameleon Arch. She had never had reason to use it before, hadn’t even programmed a new identity into it. But if she could erase her own memory and personality for the two year span, that would take care of her. But that still left Ianto and Lisa. Unless...

“Lisa,” she said, turning toward her companion, “Did they see you at all?”

“No.” Lisa answered confidently, “I didn’t come up until after the door was closed.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. Why?”

A plan was forming. Hide herself and Ianto in the chameleon arch. No, not Ianto, it wouldn’t work for him. But if she were to remove his memory, take out any recollection of the library, of her, of anything beyond an Earth-bound existance.

Ianto was watching her. “You have a plan.” he said.

“I think so, but it’ll be long and dangerous. Lisa, you’re our only chance at making it through all of this intact.”

Lisa’s eyes widened, but she stood firm. “What do I have to do?”

“You’ll have to promise me two years of your life. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” No hesitation.

“Ianto and I need to get rid of our memories. Not just the library, of anything connected with space travel. We can go into hiding on Earth, wait out the life of the scanner’s information.”

“How do we do that?” Ianto asked.

“There’s a process called the Chameleon Arch, which I can use to rewrite my biology. I can become human, with a life on Earth. Before I do that, I have the ability to remove your memories.”

“What?”

“Time Lord, remember? Lisa, I’m sorry to do this to you, but you will need to watch over us, to make sure that nothing happens. In two years time you can release me and we can restore Ianto’s memories. That should be enough time to put this all behind us.”

She approached the machine, ignoring the feeling of trepidation in her stomach and the rapid beating of both hearts. This was going to hurt, but it needed to be done.

“Okay, I can set us up on Earth. Lisa, Ianto, I’m putting you in to be hired by Torchwood London.” She turned to the computer and began hacking her way into the Torchwood system. “As far as they know, and you’ll know, Ianto, the applications have cleared, the interviews were successful, and you’ll start on May fourth.”

“Two days from now.” Lisa said.

“As for me, I’ll be at the Ministry of Defense. Might get suspicious if there’s three new hires within hours of each other.”

“Should we have some kind of backstory?” Lisa asked.

“Yes, best get that all established now. I’ll need to plug it into the machine and use it alter Ianto’s memories. Sorry, Ianto.” she added as he shifted uncomfortably.

They spent a few minutes hashing out little details and Toshiko set up her identity in her system. The sooner they did this, the safer they’d be. Right now it was safe in the void, but staying there wasn’t an option.

“Right then.” Toshiko said, typing in the last few bits of code. “This is set. So we’re clear. Lisa, keep an ear out for any signs of the guards or anything about the Time Lords. That’s why you’re at Torchwood instead of just getting away from the whole silly business entirely. Ianto, I promise we will return your memory when the time is right, but it can not be triggered beforehand or they’ll know exactly where to go.”

“I understand.”

“Okay, let’s do this.”

Ianto sat down and Toshiko stoood before him. Their height difference was so that even sitting he was almost the same height as her. He took one last look around the TARDIS, knowing it would be a long time before he had the opportunity again. Toshiko, who had opened his eyes to the universe. And Lisa. In a different life, they would have made a terrific couple. But for now she was the best friend he had ever had. She would keep them safe.

“Alright, this won’t hurt.” Toshiko said, and placed her hands on his temples. He went limp as she entered his mind, carefully and reverently sorting through his memories, removing the necessary ones and setting new ones in their place. It took only moments and then she extracted herself and leaned him gently back against the chair.

*

“Right, then.” Toshiko said, “That’s done. He won’t remember anything when he wakes. Except...”

Lisa raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. “I had to keep you in there, somehow. He obviously didn’t have any memories of you from before he joined us, since he didn’t know you. So I created some.”

“Like what?”

“Well, you’re both Torchwood agents. And you had to stay close to him so I made him believe he was, well, in love with you. You know, keep to keep him close.”

The eyebrow went a little higher. This hadn’t been discussed before. And it wasn’t as though she disliked Ianto, she had just never really thought about him in that way before. But the fact that she was now essentially chained to him (for better or for worse, her mind unhelpfully supplied) for the next two years, along with the major babysitting duty she’d just been saddled with, made her dread the whole situation just that much more.

“Oh, okay then.” she replied coolly.

“I’m sorry,” Toshiko said, “I didn’t think...It seemed like a good idea...”

“Tosh, it’s fine.” Lisa snapped, then softened her tone. “Really. I know you’re scared and I know we’re doing the right thing. I’ll go along with anything you need me to go along with. Ianto’s a good man. I could do a lot worse, even if it isn’t a real relationship.”

Tosh continued, “Things might be fuzzy, I had to hurry while creating some of the memories. You can explain that with a head injury or something.”

She turned back to the controls. “I’m going to bring us to London, then we’ll get him settled in your flat before taking care of me.”

“My flat?”

“Well, technically mine, but you’re welcome to stay there. Or not, if you decide to go somewhere else. Just please, stay in London.”

“Of course. “ The thought of doing otherwise hadn’t even occured to Lisa.

They were silent for a while as Tosh steered them out of the void. Lisa sat beside Ianto’s sleeping form. She could definitely do worse, she thought. Hopefully when the two years were up there wouldn’t be any lingering awkwardness. But that time seemed too far away to even comprehend.

“What will we do with the TARDIS?” Lisa asked.

Toshiko thought for a moment, then grinned. “Let Torchwood have it.” she said, “I can disguise it enough and if I take the right components out, it’ll be useless to them. Give them something harmless to do.”

The silence fell again until Lisa felt the TARDIS shudder to a stop. Toshiko opened the doors to reveal the interior of a modest flat.

“Two bedrooms,” Toshiko said, “Though it’s not as though I have any company. But it should do for now, I hope.”

Between the two of them, they were able to manhandle Ianto into the nearest bedroom. Toshiko gently touched his head again, then bent down and kissed him lightly.

“I’m sorry for getting you into this.” she whispered and walked away, head bowed so Lisa wouldn’t see the tears.

Lisa followed her back into the TARDIS. “He won’t wake up until you’re back,” Toshiko said, “I made sure of it. Now it’s my turn, I guess.”

Moments later they were in another flat. “It has to be done in the TARDIS, the machine won’t move.” Toshiko said, “Will you be able to get me to some flat surface afterwards? Doesn’t matter, the floor, the sofa, just in the flat somewhere. Then take the TARDIS and dump it somewhere.”

She handed Lisa a fobwatch and what looked like a spark plug. “This,” she said, pointing to the spark plug, “keeps the TARDIS from running. I’m going to alter the perception filter as well, so it won’t appear to be anything except a broken down vessel. And this,” she pointed to the fobwatch, “This will be me. The essence of a Time Lord. Please protect it. When the time is right, you’ll be able to open it and release me.”

She swallowed. “I guess that’s everything.”

Lisa didn’t understand anything that happened next. It was a blur of of flashing lights, whirring machinery, and screams of pain. It hadn’t occured to her that the complete alteration of one’s biological makeup might hurt. And there was nothing she could do except wait, helplessly, for the terror to end.

In the end, Toshiko lay unconscious in the straps of the machinery. She looked far too small, her massive personality essentially gone. Lisa gently unstrapped her and carried her into the flat. She was not about to leave her friend on the floor. Her responsibility, however overwhelming, began now and she would do her very best.

She laid Toshiko on the bed and pulled the duvet over her. “I’ll be watching over you, I promise.” she whispered, and kissed her forehead. Toshiko murmered softly and turned over, looking far more vulnerable than Lisa had ever expected to see.

She went through her next duties on autopilot. Took the TARDIS to a somewhat derelict park just outside of London, carefully tucked the TARDIS key she wore around her neck underneath her shirt, then walked back to the flat Toshiko had given them, using the directions she had left. It was a long walk and she could have easily flagged down a cab, but she needed a little time to herself. She desperately needed to collect her thoughts.

One day. That’s all it had taken to completely transform her life. Just like the day Toshiko had stumbled into her life.in a whirlwind of awkward charm. But now it seemed opposite. She was back in London with no say over her own life. She knew it was temporary, that eventually she would be back among the stars with Tosh and Ianto, but now all she could feel was a self-pity that threatened to smother her. This was all the time she’d devote to that, she decided. This walk could be full of fear and anger and raging at the unfairness of it all. That because of her friends’ mistake, she was now imprisoned. But as soon as she entered the flat, it was back to work.

She approached the building, walked up the dark stairwell, then hesitated before opening the door to what would be home, sweet home. Taking a breath, she stepped in. It was quiet, the only sounds the traffic outside and Ianto’s soft breathing. Now all she could do was wait.

*

Jack watched Ianto leave his office, a trace of a smirk remaining on his face as he zipped his fly. Right in the middle of the day, the rest of the team completely oblivious. There were definitely worse ways to kill a lunch hour.

He pulled the door and peered out into the Hub. Owen was in the autopsy bay, cutting into a reptilian corpse they had pulled out of the bay two nights previous. He could faintly hear the off-key singing that signified a productive session. Gwen was on the phone with somebody,frowning as she wrote something on a yellow legal pad. Ianto had already vanished into the archives. He had said something earlier about being in the middle of filing several boxes of tech sent over by Torchwood Two. But as this had been shortly before they had both become distracted, Jack couldn’t remember the exact details. Then there was Toshiko, staring intently at her programs, probably midway through taking over the world.

He felt a glow of pride as he looked at her. It had only been just under two years since he’d rescued her from the UNIT prison cell on an anonymous tip. She had been nervous and silent when she first arrived, scared to spend too much time under the open sky. Now she had opened up more, giving her opinion and suggestions during meetings and joining in the casual chatter as if she had always belonged there. Though she still didn’t spend enough time out of the Hub. Jack frequently considered bringing her out somewhere where she could see the beauty of the night sky, maybe tell her about some of the mysteries and wonders that lay out in the universe. She would be fascinated, absorbing the information as fast as he could give it. Maybe someday she’d even travel among the stars.

No, that was taking it too far. With a pang, Jack pulled himself out of a brief fantasy of a repaired wrist strap and Toshiko. More than likely, this job would kill her. She’d live and die in the Hub, never fully comfortable beneath the stars.

His good mood had evaporated. Sighing, he turned back into his office and closed the door. The desk was still a mess from his and Ianto’s earlier activities and there was no way he was going to get the mountain of paperwork done with that kind of distraction. Time to straighten up a little.

He was restacking a pile of folders that had been knocked to the ground when he noticed something glinting underneath the desk. Setting the folders down, he stooped and picked up the object. Ianto’s pocket watch. The smirk returned. Good times, good times.

But there was a design on it. Frowning, Jack turned on his desk lamp to take a closer look. He turned it over in his hands. Perfect geometric figures, circles and lines intertwining...reminiscent of time itself.

Jack’s blood ran cold. Images flashed through his head. Professor Yana...the watch...oh God, the Master. But it couldn’t be the Master. He was dead. Fully dead, stubbornly refusing to regenerate until the end. Jack had seen the Doctor when he returned from the funeral pyre. There was no way.

But there was no denying that this was a Time Lord’s watch. Could Ianto be a Time Lord? Jack would have thought that would have come to light, especially after the situation with Lisa. But he also remembered the Doctor and Martha discussing some kind of technology that could hide a Time Lord, even from himself. Hands shaking, Jack pocketed the watch. He needed to talk to someone, needed help. The Doctor had frequently referred to himself as the last of his race, but he’d been proven wrong by the Master. Could there be another Time Lord, one hidden away for reasons unknown?

Martha. Martha had the Doctor’s number. She could contact him and they would take care of this together. He grabbed for his cell phone, which was in his coat pocket. Which was currently crumpled on the floor. After a couple minutes of desperate searching, he pulled out the phone and looked up Martha’s number with shaking hands.

One ring...two rings...”Hello?”

“Martha.”

“Jack?” She sounded pleased to hear from him. “What, no comments about nightingales today?”

“Martha, I need the Doctor?”

“What’s wrong?” All business now.

“I found a pocket watch. A - another one like - like his. And I’m scared. Martha I’m...I’m...”

“I’ll call him now.” Her voice sounded calm, but it was a strained calm. She knew as well as he did the implications of what he’d just said. They were among the few who remembered the year of death and hopelessness that had been the result of a watch just like the one currently sitting on his desk. Sitting there next to the coral and the stack of paperwork Ianto had been nagging him to finish. Sitting there like it belonged, like it was perfectly innocent and not a ticking time bomb.

“Jack, I need to hang up to call him, but I’ll tell him to get there as soon as he can. And I’ll get there to. I don’t want you to deal with this alone.”

“You don’t have to,” he began feebly, but was relieved when she cut him off.

“I’ll be there.”

“Thank you.” His throat was dry.

The phone went dead and he slipped it in his trouser pocket. Now all he could do was wait for the Doctor to arrive. He paced, unable to think of a better way to pass the time.

The pocketwatch was Ianto’s. He had had it on him since the day he had started at Torchwood Three. He treasured it, guarding it carefully and almost reverently, but never explained why. When Jack had asked him about it, he’d almost seemed to have to think for a moment to recall what pocketwatch Jack was referring to. Then he’d just shrugged and muttered something about having to always know what time it was and it being much more comfortable than a wristwatch. Shortly after, Jack had seen him carefully shine the cover as he waited for the coffee to brew.

“Jack?”

Tosh’s voice broke through Jack’s thoughts. “What is it?” he called, trying to keep his voice normal.

“There’s Rift activity up on the Plass,” she said, as he made his way to her work station. “It’s small, but hang on...”

She glanced up at the CCTV. “There was nothing but now...look!”

Something was materializing on the Plass. “Don’t worry,” Jack said, a relieved grin sliding across his face. “He’s here for me.” 

Noting her look of alarm, he added quickly, “I mean, he’s visiting. It’s the Doctor.”

“Oh...OH!” Tosh’s face lit up. “The Doctor! The one I met in London?”

Jack frowned. “You met the Doctor?”

“Well, only for a moment.” She turned hurriedly back to her screens, shutting off the sounding Rift alarm. “Space pig, remember? You sent me in Owen’s place? He was there. I must’ve mentioned it.”

Jack shook his head. Then shook it again. Now was not the time. The Doctor was here, they’d sort this out and everything would be fine. Really. Completely fine.

“Yeah, sure.” he said, already making his way for the door. “I’m bringing him down, Tosh. Let the others know.”


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor was all business. A short greeting, no small talk. Just “Where is it?” His voice sharp and serious.

“It’s on my desk.” Jack said. The Doctor frowned and Jack realized what a stupid move that was. Leaving it sitting out in the open like that, that was just foolish. But at the same time, it wasn’t as if it was the first time it had been left out like that. Just the first time since Jack had realized the stopwatch might mean the end of mankind.

“Alright. Well, let’s have a look at it and we’ll see from here.”

The Doctor followed Jack into the Hub. No comments on the decor, no flirting or a tour. In other words, exactly the opposite of what Jack had hoped the Doctor’s first visit would be like. They took the lift, both jumping off before it had stopped, and went straight into Jack’s office without a word to any of the others.

The Doctor put on his glasses and picked up the watch. Holding it close to his face, he inspected it carefully. “It’s definitely Gallifreyian,” he said finally. “Where did it come from?”

“Ianto Jones, my, um, archivist.” Jack said. “It’s his. He’s never explained where he got it. Doesn’t really seem to notice it, to be honest.”

“Ah, perception filter.” the Doctor said, still turning the watch over in his hands. “He wouldn’t. It’s the same technology that keeps the TARDIS secret.”

He opened the watch’s cover the tiniest bit. A voice seemed to whisper out to him. “Almost time, it’s almost time to end this.”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, like a remnant of his childhood. He closed the cover and turned back to Jack. “It isn’t him.” he said firmly, “I know that’s what you and Martha are afraid of. He’s dead. Completely-” His voice broke slightly. “Completely dead.”

“But it’s definitely a Time Lord.”

“Well, yeah. The question is, who?”

“Doctor...” Jack started, turning to look out over the Hub. “Is it one of them? I mean, is it possible?”

The Doctor hesitated. “It’s possible.” he said finally, “But at the same time, it could just as easily have been lost and just picked up by your friend.”

Jack nodded. “So, what do we do?”

“We wait.”

Jack blinked at him. “Excuse me?”

“It isn’t time for it to be opened yet. Almost. Maybe even today. But there’s nothing we can do with it until the Time Lord inside is ready.”

And until then?”

The Doctor grinned. “I could use a cup of tea right about now, couldn’t you?”

*

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. The Doctor held on to the pocketwatch as Jack showed him around and introduced him to the rest of the team. He recognized Toshiko instantly and, red faced, she explained how she wasn’t really a medical doctor and had been covering for a hungover Owen that day in London. He spent some time by her desk, examining the programs she had been working on and giving her a few tips. Only a few had been necessary, she seemed to have an above-human understanding of the technology she was working with.

Jack, meanwhile, was in his office quietly panicking, but pretending to focus on paperwork. Despite what the Doctor had said, he wondered if maybe Ianto was a Time Lord in human form. What would that mean? For Ianto, for the team, hell, for Earth? Another Time Lord, one that wasn’t insane, how would that change things?

And would he still be the same person? Probably not, considering the differences between Yana and the Master. Would that mean Ianto would be gone? And who would take his place? Just because it wasn’t the Master didn’t mean everything would be fine.

You’re getting carried away, he told himself firmly. For all we know, it’s not going to be a problem at all. So shut up and find some way to occupy yourself.

Ianto was down in the archives. Maybe he’d be a good distraction, so long as Jack remembered to act naturally. Yeah, a quick shag against the medical records shelf would make things a little better.

*

“So, how long have you worked for Jack?”

The Doctor was perched on the corner of Toshiko’s desk as she worked. It wasn’t anything vital, just a program she had been tinkering with, so she was happy for the company.

“Just about two years.” she said, and chose her next words carefully. “I worked for the Ministry of Defense and then certain...events led me to Torchwood.”

The Doctor nodded and took a sip of his tea. “Ever travelled in space?”

A strange feeling flitted through Tosh’s chest, gone almost as soon as it had arrived. “No, no I haven’t. Maybe someday.”

Her face looked wistful, almost nostalgic, the Doctor noticed. He opened his mouth to tell her something, maybe an impulsive invitation to the TARDIS, he really wasn’t sure. But a flash of heat from the watch in his pocket made him jump.

“Excuse me.” he said, leaping up. “JACK!”

*  
Down in the archives, Jack heard the Doctor’s call and quickly buttoned his shirt. Ianto lay beside him, his clothes in a similar state of disarray. He too began neatening himself up and followed close behind as Jack ran upstairs.

The rest of the team was gathered already, with the Doctor holding court. The pocket watch was in his hand. It glowed and Jack knew it was time. He caught the Doctor’s eye and nodded.

The Doctor opened the watch and the glow became overwhelming, filling the room. Jack tried to keep his eyes on Ianto, but the light was blinding him.

It receded sharply and everyone blinked, trying to get their bearings. From where Jack was, Ianto didn’t look any different, besides the disorientation and fear that was reflected on the faces of everyone else in the room.

Except for one.

Toshiko looked around the room in wonder for a moment. “It worked,” she said, her voice an awed whisper. “I can’t believe it.” Her face broke into a broad grin. “Oh my God, Lisa! It worked. Lisa, where are you?”


	6. Chapter 6

Nobody moved. Tosh frowned and looked at each of them in turn. When she got to the Doctor, a broad grin broke out over her face.

“Hello there!” she said, “Not exactly who I planned to see when I left the Chameleon Arch, but I’m not complaining.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned to Ianto, who took a step backwards.

“Ianto,” she said concern etching her features, “Where’s Lisa?”

He ran. Jack was torn between following his clearly distraught archivist and figuring out what exactly was happening here and if it was a threat. He stepped forward. “Toshiko?”

She turned to him. “Mmm, yes?”

“Are you the same Toshiko I hired?”

She thought for a moment. “Well, yes and no. See, there was some trouble at a library and I needed a place to hide so we figured...”

“Are you the same person?”

She flinched at Jack’s tone. “Your Toshiko is still inside me. But I’m more than that.”

“You’re a Time Lord.”

“Yes.”

“What was a Time Lord doing inside a UNIT prison?”

Gwen gasped. Owen looked unfazed, though as he had access to Toshiko’s medical records he’d probably already known.

“I’m not sure, to be honest.” Tosh said, frowning. “They had my mother, or at least the woman I believed to be my mother. But how...”

She trailed off, gazing absently into the reflecting pool at the base of the rift manipulator. Then abruptly turned back to the rest of them. “It must’ve been Lisa. Yes, that’s the only explaination. But she’d never...she must’ve...yes, she was doing it to protect me. Other companies were trying to lure me away, she’d never be able to...yes! Everything fits. But where is she?”

Nobody answered, their minds all back on the same night. After a moment Tosh’s face fell as the memory slid into place. “Of course.” she said, sounding more like her former self. “It had to be done, of course. But Lisa...oh my God...”

She turned her head away. Jack looked to the Doctor, who nodded, then approached her hesitantly.

“Tosh,” he began, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Toshiko.”

“Sorry, sorry.” She wiped roughly at the tears streaking her cheeks. “I know we did the right thing, but my God...”

He steered her into the chair at her work station and positioned himself so that they were eye to eye. “I think you need to tell us what is going on,” he said in a gentle voice.


	7. Chapter 7

There was silence as Toshiko began her story. Different emotions flitted through Jack’s mind: confusion, betrayal, pride, relief. The devotion of Lisa, a woman he’d only known in her mad final hours. Anger at the thought of yet another betrayal by Ianto, though this was tempered by the knowledge that he’d been completely manipulated and oblivious to the fact. But overall, it was shock he was feeling. Everything he’d believed about his current situation had been proven false.

“And now...I guess that’s the end.” Toshiko finally said, sounding more like her human self than she had since the beginning of this whole debacle.

Everyone except for Ianto had gathered around her. Gwen and Owen both looked as stunned as Jack felt. The Doctor’s expression was unreadable. Toshiko looked lost as she turned to Jack.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to betray you. Neither did Ianto. We were just waiting for the storm to pass. If you want, I’ll leave right now.”

She watched Jack, apprehension swirling in her stomach. She didn’t want to leave, not yet. And there was Ianto to think of. She still had a responsibility to her companion, especially considering how badly she’d failed to save the other. What would become of him? The thoughts were piling together too quickly for her to really focus. Both of her hearts were pounding and she finally bowed her head, trying her best to hide her tears.

Jack’s sudden movement toward her made her flinch and Gwen call out. But then she was engulfed in his warm grip. Trembling, she clung to his greatcoat and closed her eyes, just breathing in his scent. She felt his hand move to the back of her head and just start stroking her hair slowly as he mumbled, “It’s okay, oh God, it’s okay, Tosh.”

*

Ianto was alone in the archives when Tosh finally worked up the nerve to go down and face him. He sat in a dark corner, knees pulled up to his chest and just staring. He gave no indication that he had heard her come into the room.

“Ianto?”

He jolted and turned to her, eyes full of fear. “Tosh? What’s going on?”

She sat down next to him, trying to ignore the way he flinched. “Ianto, I need you to trust me.”

“Trust you?” he gave a hollow laugh, “How the hell can I trust you? I don’t know who you are, but you aren’t Toshiko. You’re different. You’re...you’re wrong.”

“No.” She kept her voice calm. “I’m still Tosh. I’m your friend. You’ve known me a lot longer than you realize.”

She tried to look him in the eye, but he ducked his head. “What does Lisa have to do with it?” he asked.

His voice sounded like that of a lost child and Tosh’s heart broke slightly. “She saved us, you and I. When everything fell apart, she was the only one we could depend on. She sacrificed everything to take care of us.”

“What do you mean?”

She raised a hand toward the side of his head and he jerked back, banging his head against the shelf. “Please,” she repeated, “I need you to trust me.”

The next moment seemed to stretch as she waited for him to make his decision. Finally, he nodded, still not looking her in the eye. She gently placed her fingertips against his temples, unsurprised by the resistance she felt as she tried to enter his mind. “Let me in,” she whispered.

His mind was much darker than it had been the day she had removed his memories. This time she worked more slowly, carefully sorting through the collection of false and altered memories, lifting the shield that she’d placed over his previous life. She felt him shudder as one by one the memories filtered into his consciousness.

_The creatures have been rounded up and sent back to their own planet with a stern warning. He sits down heavily on a park bench, exhausted from a day of hunting aliens. Aliens. Absolutely unbelievable. Just this morning his biggest worry was whether or not he’d have enough to pay the cable bill this month. Now he is aware of life beyond Earth._

_The pretty Asian lady who led the hunt sits down next to him. “Nice job out there.” she says._

_“Thanks.” All he wants was a shower and a soft bed. Or just any bed at all._

_“Especially liked the bit with the chocolate.”_

_That was completely unintentional. How was he supposed to know that cocoa was considered an aphrodisiac on their planet? He’d just been looking for something to distract the one that was chewing on his knee._

_“It’s amazing,” he says, gazing up at the stars. “I never really considered the possibility of more life out there. I mean, I guess I always knew it could be, but never really thought about it, you know?”_

_“Mmmm.”_

_They sit in silence for a moment. “Come with me,” she says after a bit._

_“You mean, into space?”_

_“Yes. And time. My ship’s a time machine too.”_

_She holds out a hand. He hesitated for the slightest moment, thinking of his job at the coffee shop, of the family he never sees. Then pushes it all aside and reaches for her hand._

_*_

_Tosh bursts out laughing, spraying crumbs all over the table._

_“No, seriously,” she manages to choke out, “He really said that?”_

_“Absolutely,” Lisa says, and takes a sip of her drink._

_“The translator was on the blink.” Ianto argues, feeling his ears burn with embarassment, “And I haven’t spent much time studying their language.”_

_“But you’d think the difference between ‘house pet’ and ‘husband’ would be pretty obvious, considering the context.” Lisa points out._

_Tosh pats his hand sympathetically. “You had no way of knowing.” she says, keeping a straight face._

_“He wore a collar. What else could it possibly have been?”_

_He buries his face in his hands as the women burst out laughing again._

_*_

_Lisa is asleep on the couch, her head against the armrest and her arm dangling toward the floor. He throws a blanket over her and smiles, resisting the urge to kiss her forehead._

*

When Toshiko came back to herself, Ianto’s head was lying heavily on her shoulder. The tears prickled her eyes again and she tried to hold them back for a moment, then softly stroked her companion’s hair and let them fall.


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen avoided her for the next few days. It seemed to be a mixture of fear and envy that kept her away. Tosh understood, but it still hurt to feel those troubled glances from across the Hub.

Owen also seemed apprehensive at first. But it was tempered by curiousity, almost as though he wanted to get her on his autopsy table and crack every mystery of her newfound identity. Not the way she’d always secretly envisioned getting onto his autopsy table, but that fantasy now seemed as distant as her cover identity as she settled back into her original mind and body.

The feeling of having two sets of memories unnerved her, but at the same time she needed to hold onto her human memories. The Doctor had offered to set them right but she’d refused. Like she’d told Jack, Human Toshiko was a part of her and she wanted to keep the memories of that life, incorporate them more consciously into her life now. And she knew which memories were real and which she had created for herself, but the memories of simultaneous childhoods in Osaka and on Gallifrey were enough to give her headaches.

Ianto seemed to be faring similarly. They spent a great deal of time together during those days. Tosh mourned for Lisa. She knew that they had done the right thing in shooting the Cyberman that had taken over her body, but it still made her burn with guilt. Oddly enough, it was Ianto who comforted her, having exorcised his own demons long before.

She couldn’t believe it, but after about a week, things almost seemed to be back to normal. The Doctor hung around for a bit. She could tell he was desperately lonely and thrilled to have found another Time Lord, one that hadn’t tried to take over the world. He invited her to travel with him for a while, to readjust to life as a Time Lord, but she turned him down. Even with her newfound powers, or perhaps because of them, she was needed at Torchwood. At least for now. Disappointment flashed through his eyes when she told him, but he nodded, said he understood, and made it very clear that his door was always open to her. Then, with a kiss for her and a handshake for a disappointed Jack, he’d strode out of the Hub.

One night, about two weeks after she’d left the chameleon arch, she sat at her station gazing at the complicated code sliding across the screen. She played with it, adding codes that she would never have known as a human. With a few mouse clicks, her goal was complete and she sat back with a satisfied sigh.

“Look who’s looking smug.”

She looked over at Owen, who was leaning against the railing of the autopsy bay. “What’re you working on, anyway?”

“A temporal lock,” Toshiko said, “Kind of a defensive shield around the Hub in case of an attack.”

“To keep us safe once you’ve gone.”

She looked him over. His face was carefully blank.

“Would you miss me?” she asked, a hint of flirtation in her voice.

He seemed to startle at that. “Well, yeah, I guess so. At least, the others would. Me, I probably wouldn’t notice. Too much to do, you know? No time to think of you gallavanting off to the stars.”

Toshiko didn’t say anything, just thought back to the day before when she and Ianto had dug her TARDIS out of the archives. It had been in the form of a small escape pod when Torchwood One had found it. After the fall, Suzie had scavanged it and Ianto had later archived it, both unaware of its true purpose.

“What would you say to a trip?” she said suddenly.

He narrowed his eyes. “You serious?”

She thought for a second. Was she? Since she’d shed her false identity, the hopeless infatuation with Owen had faded into a warm affection, with occasional bouts of fury laced with pity. There were things out there that could only open his eyes and make him a better man. And she was the only way he’d ever see them.

“Sure I’m serious.” she said, “Just a short trip. Well, short here. It’s a time machine, we can stay away as long as we like and go anywhere we want to go. Come on, what do you say?”

He thought for a second, then grinned. “Anywhere?”

She grinned back. “Anywhere.”

She ran a finger over the glass flower on her desk. The chameleon circuit in the TARDIS was still strong, allowing it to blend seamlessly with its environment.

She glanced toward Jack’s office. He stood at the window, gazing down at her and Owen. His eyes darted from the TARDIS on her desk and back to her. She nodded and he smiled.

“Let’s go then.” Owen said, reaching for her hand.

*

 

Gray’s unfortunate shot had torn apart her stomach and was causing her intense discomfort, but hadn’t quite killed her. It was a mortal wound, to be sure, but she had gritted her teeth and held on long enough to help Owen navigate the Nuclear Power station.

“What’s going to happen to me, Tosh?”

Her eyes, dry up until this point, welled up at the calmness in Owen’s voice. “I can’t.”

“Please. I need to know.”

She told him. It was all over now, but she didn’t want to regenerate while he could still hear her and possibly understand what was going on. That would be too cruel, for him to know that he was facing a final death and she was not.

“We never did get that date, did we, you and me?” Owen said. “I wish I had noticed before you got your system reset.” There was genuine regret in his voice.

“Owen, I…” Tosh bit her lip. She only had moments to find the words that had been evading her for so many days. “I’m the same person. Human Tosh’s memories weren’t all real, but her feelings- my feelings- were. I love you.” _Even if that’s not true, there’s no way it can hurt now._

“Thank you,” Owen said. Then, “It’s starting.”

“Owen…”

“It’s all right, Tosh. Really. It’s all right.”

“Oh God. Owen?”

There was no answer. Knowing he was gone, Tosh felt something inside her relax, fractionally. Then her body began to glow.

She curled herself up tighter around her wounds. She closed her eyes against the blinding light, but opened them again when that produced a nauseating spinning sensation. Bile rose in her throat, and she struggled against the urge to vomit. 

When the light faded, Tosh could see three blurry figures kneeling next to her. No, they weren’t blurry, she realized, but her vision was.

“Tosh? Tosh, are you all right?”

“Jack?” Tosh’s voice sounded strange to her own ears. She blinked, her surroundings coming gradually into focus.

“I’m here. How are you feeling?”

“Sick. Nauseous. Can’t see right. But I’ve had worse.” Squinting, she was able to make out Gwen, fiddling with medical equipment, and Ianto, frowning at a glowing screen.

“The nuclear plant at Turnmill,” Ianto said. “Owen’s there.”

Tosh shook her head. “Sealed in. Re-routed the blast. I couldn't save him.”

“It’s all right,” Gwen said. “You did all you could. Relax.”

Tosh noticed that Gwen was brandishing a syringe. “Please, no,” Tosh said, brushing Gwen’s hand away. “I’m fine, really.”

“Then what’s all this blood?” Gwen asked, pursing her lips.

“Mine. I was shot.”

“And you’re fine?”

“She is,” Jack confirmed. “Trust her, Gwen, it’s a Time Lord thing.”

By this time, Tosh could see clearly again. She looked up to see John Hart, watching the entire scene from the walkway. He caught her eye and winked. “I liked you before, but this isn’t a bad look either,” he said. “Jack really does know how to pick them.”

“Thanks, I think.” Reminded of the effects of the recent regeneration, she looked down at herself, running her hands over her arms and legs.

“All present and correct?” Jack asked.

“Seems to be,” Her new body seemed to be of similar size to the old one, which was nice. Her less-pleasant regenerations had often involved drastic changes in height, weight, muscle mass, or even sex. The tone of her skin was different, but only slightly. She ran her fingers through her hair and noticed that it was considerably shorter, but that was typical. This was shaping up to be a fairly smooth transition.

“Can you stand?” Jack said.

“I think so.” Tosh was able to get up, but she still felt slightly dizzy. She swayed a bit, and Jack offered her his arm. Taking it, she allowed herself to be led away from the scene of her “death” and over to the couch, Gwen hovering behind her.

“Don’t fuss over me,” Tosh said. “What’s happened? Where’s Gray? Who’s dealing with the mess from the bombings?”

“Gray’s been taken care of,” Jack said, his voice flat. “The police seem to have the rest of Cardiff under control.”

“I see,” said Tosh, trying to process how so many disasters had fizzled out in such a short amount of time. She must have been teetering on the brink of regeneration for longer than she’d thought.

“Is Owen really dead?” Gwen asked.

Tosh nodded. “I’m so sorry. If only I hadn’t brought him back here, he would be safe now.”

“Not your fault,” Jack said. “I’m the one who called to ask for your help.”

“And we came because it was our job. He wouldn’t have had it any differently. Still, I just wish…” Tosh trailed off.

“I know,” Jack said. “We all do.”

*

Tosh spent the next few days helping to clear up the aftermath of the disaster. Once things were beginning to get under control again, she surreptitiously deleted her account from the Torchwood computers. In doing so, she came across a message she barely remembered recording. It seemed fitting- her human self had died, in a way, with those memories seeming less real by the day. Once the message had played, Tosh gathered herself and went to find the rest of the team.

Jack and Ianto were in Jack’s office. To Tosh’s relief, they were engaged in nothing more lascivious than hashing out the details of an official report. “Hello,” she said, lingering in the doorway. “Can I talk to you? Both of you, and Gwen, too?”

Gwen was summoned, and they all assembled in the cramped office. “What’s going on, Tosh?” Gwen asked.

Tosh took a deep breath. “I wanted to let you know that I think it’s time I moved on. I’m leaving Torchwood. And probably Earth, too.”

“You can’t!” Gwen cried. She looked a bit embarrassed at her own outburst, but pressed on. “What I mean is, we need you.”

Ianto looked concerned as well. “We need a tech expert on the staff, and you’re the best there is.”

“You flatter me,” Tosh said, smiling for what felt like the first time in weeks. “But I’m not so irreplaceable as you image me to be. I’m sure you can find another gadget geek to save from obscurity without any trouble.”

“You know that’s not the only thing,” Gwen said. “We’ve already lost Owen. Do we need to lose you, too?”

“Oh, please, don’t think like that,” Tosh said. “It’s entirely different. You don’t need to grieve for me. This is the right thing to do.”

“Why?”

“It’s just what I have to do. I’ve spent longer than I’d ever meant to here already. It’s time to stop hiding and get back out there in the world. There’s so much out there. Ianto remembers, don’t you, Ianto?”

Ianto looked conflicted. “I don’t like to think of you out there on your own. Say the word, and I’m your companion again.”

Tosh could see his eyes flicker to Jack, could see how much it cost him to ask that. “No, love. We were wonderful together, but I think you’re needed here.”

Ianto’s body all but sagged with relief. “All right. If you say so, then.”

Tosh looked at Jack, who had been silent so far. “So you’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”

Jack cocked his head, his face unreadable. “Where will you go?”

Tosh shrugged. “Wherever the wind blows me, so to speak. When you called me back this time, Owen and I left in a hurry. If I can get back to that Centaurian colony in time, I feel like I might be able to do some more good there. After that, who knows?”

Jack nodded. “That sounds reasonable. I certainly won’t try to stop you.”

Gwen looked like she was about to protest, but instead she asked, “When are you leaving?”

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Tosh said. “Don’t look at me like that. If I stayed any longer, you would try to talk me out of it.” She could feel tears pricking at her eyes. “And it would probably work.”

“What about your flat? All of your things?” Gwen asked.

“If memory serves, they all belong to Torchwood now.” She glanced at Jack, who nodded confirmation. “All I have to do is go dig my TARDIS out of hiding, and I’ll be a free woman.”

They all paused, unsure how to proceed. It was Ianto who broke the silence. “Go with our love, then.”

“Of course,” Gwen said.

“And if you ever need us, don’t hesitate,” Jack said. “We’ll be here.”

“Thank you. Thank you all so much.” Tosh couldn’t help but feel that her words were inadequate, but they were met warmly with a round of somewhat tearful embraces. It seemed like only moments later that she was walking through the Plass, not sure that she would ever see it again.


	9. Epilogue

Jack had once visited a small planet where the natives had a tradition of going on vacation after a family member died. Sort of like a honeymoon, but after a funeral, he had joked to the Doctor. Who had just smiled, and said But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Isn’t that the time you want to get away the most? Jack hadn’t given it much more thought at the time, but the years had only gone to show him just how true that was.

Of course, the idea was to get away directly following the loved one’s passing, not to spent nearly a soul searching and then do it. Still, Jack hadn’t remembered the custom until now, and he felt like he was still getting it right in spirit.

Months later, the pain still felt new.

“Another drink, sir?”

“Yes please.”

Of all the planets he’d been to, this had to be one of his favorites. The corner of it he was occupying now was semi-tropical in climate, and had a stable government that had been enjoying relative peace and prosperity for the equivalent of three Earth centuries now. Its inhabitants were mostly slender humanoids covered with a dusting of soft fur. To call them “feline” was a disservice, Jack thought, as he watched one scantily clad specimen shimmy, dripping, out of the resort pool. They were something entirely their own, having little in common with Earth’s big cats, less with their domesticated ones. Besides, cats don’t like water.

He had never had time to learn the language, so he wore a small translating device hooked over one ear. It marked him as an outsider, but as tourism was the number one industry here, he hardly stood out. For every native he saw around the resort, there were at least two individuals from some other planet. Humans were rare, but not unheard of, and he was mostly left alone.

“Your drink, sir.”

“Thanks,” Jack said, taking the proffered glass full of milky white liquid. He took his first sip and felt something like satisfaction creep into his bones.

“Excuse me, sir, but it’s customary to tip.”

“Where I come from, we only tip for exceptional ser-” Jack turned as he spoke, and bit off the rest of his smart reply when he saw who was standing next to his lounge chair. “Toshiko!?”

She grinned and dropped herself gracefully onto a chair beside him. “I was told that I might find you here.”

“Good thing I’ve never been a wanted criminal, or anything. It would be a shame to think I’m so easy to track down.”

“Don’t be so touchy. I ran into the Doctor.”

“Where? How?” Jack couldn’t help but notice the tiny bikini she was wearing- appropriate for the setting, of course, but completely at odds with the Tosh he had known.

“Oh, it’s a long story. Suffice to say we got to know each other rather well.”

Jack quirked an eyebrow at what had to be an innuendo, but she offered up nothing else. “How long have you known him?”

“Long enough to admit that I still don’t know quite what to make of him.” Tosh paused. “He told me what happened. On Earth. I’m so sorry.”

When Jack said nothing, Toshiko kept talking. “I would have come, if I had known. They did a decent job covering things up, for once. Maybe I could have helped.”

“Maybe,” Jack agreed, tone still neutral. They sat beside each other, not making eye contact, for what seemed like a long time.

“I loved Ianto, too,” Tosh said.

“I know you did,” Jack said. “But you weren’t the one who killed him.”

“Neither were you.” Tosh swung her legs off the side of the lounge. Facing Jack, she continued, “Listen, I know how it feels. I’ve been alive for a long time, too. What do you think it was like after I realized what I had done to Lisa?”

“Lisa was dangerous,” Jack argued. “There was no other way.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier to live with.”

Jack regarded Toshiko for a moment. She kept her face stern, but inside she was pleased that his mood seemed to have shifted from despondent to querulous. This was a good sign.

After a moment, Jack smiled. “It’s good to see you, Toshiko.”

“It’s good to see you, too.” Tosh straightened up and looked at their surroundings. “This is lovely, but everyone I’ve talked to says you’ve been here for three weeks. That’s about enough time for a vacation, don’t you think?”

“What are you saying?”

“Come with me.” Tosh stood, and Jack squinted up at her against the mid-morning sun. “There’s a lot of people who haven’t Captain Jack Harkness.”

“That’s a good thing. People who meet me often have cause to regret it.” He was still moping, but Tosh could see it was half-joking, that some of his old self was coming back.

Tosh rolled her eyes. “So melodramatic. Listen, I’ve been traveling on my own since I left Earth, and it really isn’t any fun. Either you come with me now, or I have to start recruiting. Please?”

Tosh reached out one of her hands. Jack looked at her for a moment. Then, just as she was sure he was going to refuse, he kicked back the rest of his drink, set the empty glass down, and took her hand. Standing up, he grinned. “Give me a few minutes to pack. Then we can check out of this planet.

“Oh, thank goodness. I’m so glad you’re being sensible and not staying here.”

Jack shrugged. “Your logic is irrefutable, as always. Besides, I don’t know Tosh the Time Lord very well, and I would very much like to.”

“Don’t start with the flattery again. Let’s get moving. The universe is waiting.”


End file.
